how do i polish the bolt?

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ok guys i already have my wood on order for my conversion and i already have all the other conversion parts. i have also fired 150 rounds of federal bulk pack from wally world no problem with the gunfixers plug! now until my wood set comes in i want to polish the whole bolt and all moving parts. i know i can send it out to get it polished but i need any reason to bust out my dremel!!! so can anyone tell me how they polished there bolt and if they have pics please post them up!!!

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Well having wood like you do is a great start. Basically just pick a hand, apply lube and go to work, even strokes, slow yet firm. You can increase speed as you need based on how close you are to climax/completion. One important thing to consider and this is important because a lot of people tend to do this, (more than you would think) do not by any means neglect the nuts while polishing the bolt. You will be amazed at how fast this brings the task to completion. Hope this helps and good luck. Oh and uh...pics or it didn't happen.

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ok guys i already have my wood on order for my conversion and i already have all the other conversion parts. i have also fired 150 rounds of federal bulk pack from wally world no problem with the gunfixers plug! now until my wood set comes in i want to polish the whole bolt and all moving parts. i know i can send it out to get it polished but i need any reason to bust out my dremel!!! so can anyone tell me how they polished there bolt and if they have pics please post them up!!!

This is a way to do the mod for DIY'res.

This is my first bolt mod.

GlassBolthas advanced greatly since, but this is a good way for those who can't afford to send their parts out, or those who simply refuse to have anybody else do work on their weapon.

First & foremost, NEVER touch this part. It keeps the hammer from striking the firing pin before the gun is in full battery.

Also, do not reduce the size of the feed foot.

The feed foot is the part on the bolt that pushes the shell out of the mag & also holds the rim of the hull opposite of the extractor.

I'm editing this post to include this because people keep screwing it up.

To shape, I used a fine dremmel sanding drum.

To smooth, I used abrasive prep pads on a drill. Dremmel also makes abrasive buffs,

but I have a bunch of drill mount pads that I got cheap, so I saved the dremmel buffs for tighter quarters work in the future.

To polish, I used the dremmel, with wool pads & red polishing compound.

I only addressed the areas that move against the shells & hammer as the bolt rotates, extracts & feeds & the carrier re-cocks the hammer.

I did not remove as much steel as some do, due to the fact that I fire a lot of 3" magnum & don't wish to compromise the integrity of my bolt or punch though it.

It now cycles even smoother than before & loading mags on a closed bolt is easier.

Here is a pic of a heavier mod.

A little too deep for my tastes.

If I should feel like I'm having issues due to the bolt, I may go deeper, but it is working very well at the present time, so Why fix it?

I'm not having mag insertion issues & polished as it is, they insert even smoother now

I also did a bit of work on the FCG, smoothing out the sharp horns on the hammer, & just polishing contact or friction bearing surfaces on the rest.

I stopped at abrasive buffs on the carrier rails, because it was good enough.

The gun is VERY dependable.

Just take your time & keep the tool moving to achieve smooth results.

<insert shameless add>

However, if you'd like the best possible out of this mod for reliability, GlassBolt has really come up since my first mod.

Top industry consultants have converged to bring the mod to the pinicle of perfection & I now offer the service to the public!

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Well having wood like you do is a great start. Basically just pick a hand, apply lube and go to work, even strokes, slow yet firm. You can increase speed as you need based on how close you are to climax/completion. One important thing to consider and this is important because a lot of people tend to do this, (more than you would think) do not by any means neglect the nuts while polishing the bolt. You will be amazed at how fast this brings the task to completion. Hope this helps and good luck. Oh and uh...pics or it didn't happen.

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Guys, What is this "Red Compound"? I was just at Walmart and then went to a automotive store, but couldn't find anything except the Mcguire stuff made for removing scratch and polishing rims.

I think they might be referring to the small pack of red polishing compound that comes with most Dremel kits. My local Home Depot sells it stand-alone on the end cap with all the other Dremel accesories. I used it on mine and the results were very good. Not the caliber of Paul or Cobra's work, but pretty darned smooth and it cycles everything I've tried so far, including Wally World bulk.

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Guys, What is this "Red Compound"? I was just at Walmart and then went to a automotive store, but couldn't find anything except the Mcguire stuff made for removing scratch and polishing rims.

Unless I miss my guess they are referring to red jewelers rouge. It is a polishing compound used to finish polish jewelry, especially gold. It has just enough abrasive to take the finish from say a 600 grit to more like a 2400/3200 finish.

It is used on gold because the red residue will make the yellow color of gold look a bit more orange and therefore "richer". No such effect with steel, but it will assist in polishing the metal.

I use the red on most steel i polish, and white for aluminum. what grit is the white effectivly?

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Guys, What is this "Red Compound"? I was just at Walmart and then went to a automotive store, but couldn't find anything except the Mcguire stuff made for removing scratch and polishing rims.

I think they might be referring to the small pack of red polishing compound that comes with most Dremel kits. My local Home Depot sells it stand-alone on the end cap with all the other Dremel accesories. I used it on mine and the results were very good. Not the caliber of Paul or Cobra's work, but pretty darned smooth and it cycles everything I've tried so far, including Wally World bulk.

It's jewelers polishing compound. Red rouge. Get it at a hobby store, or order it from a jewelers supply (for a fraction of the cost), but the OP is correct, it will work as long as you have taken the finish down to at least 600. The finer the grit used (in steps 200/400/600/800/1200) the less rouge and buffing will be necessary to achieve a high polish.

Polishing contact surfaces is not a cure all, but it does lower friction and drag and will help your gun cycle more efficiently.

What do you use to take it to 600+ grit? Sandpaper seems to be a pain in the Arsss. The dremel bit kit that I bought came with only two grades of wheels, I think one is 100 and the other 200-300. Are there different grit wheels up to 600+ for the dremel? I am sure the answer is yes, is that what you guys use?

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What do you use to take it to 600+ grit? Sandpaper seems to be a pain in the Arsss. The dremel bit kit that I bought came with only two grades of wheels, I think one is 100 and the other 200-300. Are there different grit wheels up to 600+ for the dremel? I am sure the answer is yes, is that what you guys use?

I used the dremmel abrasives or prep pads for that, my first one.

They're fun little tools. They bring it to a smooth matte finish.

ETA:

They are also great for paint removal on the carriers to make them look bead blasted. 6 months out & the bare carrier hasn't gotten any rust yet.

The steel is nearly a stainless steel alloy, so its not too prone to corrosion.

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Guys, What is this "Red Compound"? I was just at Walmart and then went to a automotive store, but couldn't find anything except the Mcguire stuff made for removing scratch and polishing rims.

I think they might be referring to the small pack of red polishing compound that comes with most Dremel kits. My local Home Depot sells it stand-alone on the end cap with all the other Dremel accesories. I used it on mine and the results were very good. Not the caliber of Paul or Cobra's work, but pretty darned smooth and it cycles everything I've tried so far, including Wally World bulk.

It's jewelers polishing compound. Red rouge. Get it at a hobby store, or order it from a jewelers supply (for a fraction of the cost), but the OP is correct, it will work as long as you have taken the finish down to at least 600. The finer the grit used (in steps 200/400/600/800/1200) the less rouge and buffing will be necessary to achieve a high polish.

Polishing contact surfaces is not a cure all, but it does lower friction and drag and will help your gun cycle more efficiently.

What do you use to take it to 600+ grit? Sandpaper seems to be a pain in the Arsss. The dremel bit kit that I bought came with only two grades of wheels, I think one is 100 and the other 200-300. Are there different grit wheels up to 600+ for the dremel? I am sure the answer is yes, is that what you guys use?

Personally, I have a professional shop full of all kinds of specialized grinding, finishing, and lapidary equipment. If I didn't, it would be down to the harware store to pick up the required grits and on the internet for the compounds.

Or you could just pony up $85, send it to Cobra and let him worry about it

I have 3 SAIGA12's that I have converted to different configurations. All three have been duracoated, 2 have folding stocks and all have different furniture and colors. The internal on all three have been polished and are smooth, but it is not as polished as some on yours that have used the rouge. I am thinking of taking them up another notch, and that requires the higher grit wheels. at least I think that's the way I would go based on what I have heard so far.

Thanks for your help WaffenSchmied.

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I just used what came with my dremal tool. I found just rounding of the edges of the hammer and bolt carriers smoothed out the action a lot. I haven't gone crazy with polishing but I can see the pro's already

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I'm not familiar with Dremel abrasive wheels. However, if you can get them in increasingly fine grits, that would be the way to go. The finer the finish, the faster your work will be when you go to rouge.

Good luck!

Abrasives do come in incremental "grits" they are likely around 1000-1200 grit if you need an idea.

The fine sanding drum that came in your dremel kit will shape it well. (if you keep the tool moving & in the right places)

The abrasive will remove the small sanding marks to make it quite smooth. (It takes a while to remove metal with them, but you want to go slow anyhow) They will make it look professional.

Then the wool with rouge will finish it up.

The key is keeping the tool moving. If you stop (when sanding with the drum) you will make an uneven transition.

It does take practice to get steel finishing right so maybe try a piece of test steel.....

Edited January 17, 2011 by Paulyski

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What do you use to take it to 600+ grit? Sandpaper seems to be a pain in the Arsss. The dremel bit kit that I bought came with only two grades of wheels, I think one is 100 and the other 200-300. Are there different grit wheels up to 600+ for the dremel? I am sure the answer is yes, is that what you guys use?

I use the dremmel abrasives or prep pads. They're fun little tools. They bring it to a smooth matte finish.

ETA:

They are also great for paint removal on the carriers to make them look bead blasted. 6 months out & the bare carrier hasn't gotten any rust yet... Strange.